THE EXACT IMPRINT OF GOD
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,” Hebrews 1:3a, ESV
Theme: Jesus is God; He is one and the same in nature, radiance, and glory with His Heavenly Father.
JESUS IS GOD
“Jesus is God” is a confusing concept for many reasons. Jesus was limited. God is not. Jesus was a baby, with needs, weaknesses, and a member of humanity. God was not. While one can make an argument that at moments in time Jesus did not embody all that God is (omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient), He remains one with God. His nature is the same as God’s nature. His radiance is the same. His glory is the same. The only difference is that Jesus emptied Himself of all that was required to squeeze into a human skin. A limited, weak, degrading, tiny, human skin - enough like ours that He could fully experience life like we do. Except He lived without sin and retained absolute humility and wisdom of God.
THE EXACT REPRESENTATION
God didn’t just send a representative; He sent His exact representation in human form. The Greek phrase translated “exact representation” in today’s Scripture is from the word “charaktēr” which describes the exact mark made by a tool used for carving or engraving. It is the word our “character” is based upon. Character can describe traits. Character can describe a letter or number symbol. Character can describe a personality in a story (movie, book, etc). God is exactly represented as a human in Jesus. A word can’t fully describe an experience because it is limited in ways that experiencing it is not. Yet, Jesus is fully God in every way possible while also retaining humanity.
Make It Personal: Consider the ways Jesus does not seem like God to you. Consider the ways it is easy for you to see Jesus is God. Pray for God’s wisdom and understanding regarding His character, personality and as a man who came into human history, Jesus.
Pray: God, thank You for coming to live among us as a man. Thank You for Your sacrifice, degradation, and suffering on the cross. While I don’t completely understand the way that You can be both God and Man simultaneously, help me to know You better today. Help me to understand enough to have faith for today and hope for tomorrow. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Read: Hebrews 1:1-14
Weekly Memory Verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8, ESV